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How to sand down grip

I recently had a rod built but the handle is Way to large(thick) compared to the factory handle but was told by builder he could not turn down because it could not be chucked up.So can I take sandpaper and sand it down myself if so what grit,because it won't get used like it is now.

Return the rod! Get one built the way you want it. A competent builder should be able to change the grip. If you approved of an oversized grip it can be removed and replaced for a fee. If you didn't, then don't accept the rod.

Absolutely! Return the rod. It CAN be chucked up and turned down a bit for you. If he can't chuck it up, he needs to remove it and turn it down, turn a new grip, or otherwise fix the issue for you. Maybe he can pay another builder to fix the grip for you.

Last edited by kbproctor; 01-01-2014 at 07:42 PM.

Kevin

Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.

wow I don't know who built the rod for you but any builder would be able to make this right. Any builder that says it can't be turned down needs to step back and fix his/her mistake. sorry to hear of the misfortune. to sand the cork I start with 80 grit to form the grip. then I go to 100 and take it down to 600 grit to make it nice and smooth. hope this helps

Like the others said, any experienced rod builder should be able to sand down a grip. There are mandrels that fit different sized holes in the cork. http://www.anglersworkshop.com/grip-...s-1-4-1-2.html He would slip the grip onto the appropriate sized mandrel mount it on his lathe, and it shouldn't take him more that 15 minutes to sand the grip to he proper size. Then he simply uses finer grade paper until he has the grip nice smooth. Now that he has assembled the rod, the process is much more complicated because he has to remove the reel seat and grip. His problem, not yours.

I recently had a rod built but the handle is Way to large(thick) compared to the factory handle but was told by builder he could not turn down because it could not be chucked up.So can I take sandpaper and sand it down myself if so what grit,because it won't get used like it is now.

Appears to me that you told the builder you wanted it slightly larger than the factory grip.

even without removing the reel seat it could be chucked and mounted with some steady rests then turned down. I've done it before on a rod I bought and didn't like the grip on. just need to becareful and take your time. any decent custom rodbuilder should be able to do this. However it should have been done right the first time.

The only things we permanently keep, are those we give away-Waite Philips

even without removing the reel seat it could be chucked and mounted with some steady rests then turned down. I've done it before on a rod I bought and didn't like the grip on. just need to becareful and take your time. any decent custom rodbuilder should be able to do this. However it should have been done right the first time.

It was done right the first time, he told the builder he wanted it slightly larger than the factory grip. I know this builders reputation, and you get what you ask for.

While there was clearly some miscommunication here it is clear that Thomas has a custom rod that he feels he cannot use. I don't understand why the builder says it can't be fixed at a reasonable cost. For what it is worth I think that the blame for the problem probably rests with both parties. If Thomas could have been clearer about what he wanted, the builder should have been sure that he understood what was being asked of him. If he was building a grip on the St Croix blank to be bigger than a factory grip he should probably (in hindsight) have checked the grip on the factory rod. I don't know how acrimonious their discussions have become but if they can still work together I would think that a repair at a reduced price would be fair